One foot in front of the other

My first ultra-marathon is on Saturday. As I write this, I am sitting in the airport waiting for the second leg of my journey to get underway. Upon my arrival, I will meet up with my wife, good friend, and, a bit later, my sister and her new boy toy. For the next four days (as it has been for the five or so days before this moment), the conversation will center almost entirely on me. We will discuss my running needs – hydration, calories, band aids, sunglasses, etc. – my ridiculous desire to push myself to the breaking point, my next goal, and hopefully, about what a great experience this all has been. And while I love the attention (I am not shy about saying that), there are a few things I want to say before I get too focused to care about the details:

To those who have stood by me for the past five months and dealt with my incessant chatter about weight loss, running shoes, food consumption, nipple chaffing, heat stroke, etc., without so much as a grumble, a slap to the head, or an eye roll, I thank you. Without your unwavering support, good natured ribbing, and ability to put this all in perspective, I would have come to resent this journey. You have all made it possible – as such, this race is as much yours as it is mine, we are a team, and I only hope I do not let you down.

If I do not finish – for any reason – I will be okay. I have come to grips with this possibility, and know that the chances are real. If it happens, do not be afraid to talk with me about it. While I hate to fail, I can think of nothing worse that failing without an outlet.

I know some of you look at me and wonder what the hell am I going through that would cause me trade in everything I love for long, lonely runs. I am not crazy, but I have no better explanation for you than this – I do it because I can, and one day, for whatever reason, this will no longer be possible. It is not sexy, inspiring, or even well thought out. I am young, strong, energetic, a borderline insomniac, and have an abundance of free time; hence, I run.

With that, I am off.